Before the Beginning and After the End
by Blackfeather05
Summary: Fakir was happy that they had managed to finally finish the story and save the town but he is displeased that he couldn't give Ahiru her human form back. One day he writes a mysterious story and unknowingly starts a series of events that may finally allow him to get his happy ending.
1. Chapter 1

**So I'm trying something new here. I have always been a fan of this anime so I figured that I would try my hand at making my own ending for it. So read enjoy and let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters**

**Update: If anyone who reads this story and also reads stuff on Wattpad please don't freak if you see it there. I have also posted it there under the name of Snowlands - so yes, i know it's there.**

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><p>Words have always come easy to me. It used to get me in trouble but now that I have learned how to deal with my gift. One of the first times I used my gift I unleashed a deadly flock of ravens. On that day I vowed to never write again so that no one would get hurt. That day I also became the knight that would serve and protect the prince who had no heart or emotions. For years this worked until a girl who called herself "princess tutu" started trying to get the princes heart back. We fought for a while until I realized two things. First was that she was the same person as this annoying and clumsy girl in my ballet class and second was that we wanted the same thing and the only way to get it was to work together. At first it was nothing more than a shared quest but as time wore on and the end of our story neared we got closer and closer. In that time I found that my goal had changed from protecting the prince to protecting her. She saved me and I saved her, in more ways than one. Yet through all of the time we spent trying to save the prince I could only ever write her story. When the feathers hit the fan and we had to fight the raven she was so strong, even as I held her small broken body she was radiating with strength. She was my rock. She was my little rock when the prince left with his love and when the town was freed from the tragedy that my grandfather had wrote it into. Life then went on without us. Everyone going on to live their own lives free from the story and sadness that had controlled them for so long. Free from the endless tragedy. Then there was us the writer and the duck. If you looked you would see us in the same place as always. Me sitting on the dock fishing with a pad of paper in my lap while watching a small yellow duck swim carelessly around the dock. I sit out here every day hoping that one day the words that had once so freely flowed on to the page will return and bring her back to me. One day I got just what I wished for and this is what happened:<p>

Like always I was sitting on the dock watching Ahiru when for the first time in months I was struck with inspiration, my pen flew over the paper so fast that I couldn't process the words as I wrote. The world went on without me as I got lost in my work, the only thing that snapped me out of my trance was the soft quacking of Ahiru as she tried to let me know that the sun had set and it was time to go home. I scooped her up and read over my story as we walked home in the fading light. As I read I struggled to understand who I had written this about but I knew that I would be able to keep going on it again tomorrow. I tucked Ahriu in and after turning out the light and closing my eyes I could have sworn that I felt someone climb into bed with me but for some reason I couldn't move to check, before I could ponder it more I fell asleep. The next morning when I awoke the first thing on my mind was my visitor but when I rolled over there was no one there, I stared at the other side of my bed intently as I tried to figure out what I had felt last night.

"Quack?" I jumped out of bed in fright as Ahiru jumped into the spot I was staring and quacked at me. "Quack!" She exclaimed as she rushed across the bed and looked down at me in curiosity.

"I'm fine, you just startled me. Why are you up? You usually aren't up before me."

"Quack quack quack quack."

"I promise not to worry you again, I'm sorry that I upset you last night." I apologized as I stood up to finally get changed. I no longer found it odd to be speaking to her like that, to me each little sound she makes is just as expressive as any words that someone could say. Yes, some people think I'm crazy because I talk to a duck but I really don't care they have no idea what we have gone through together.

Once I had cleaned up I scooped Ahiru up and headed for the dock. I sat down and let my quill flay over the paper again but this sudden rush of inspiration only lasted a few hours before I became hopelessly stuck, I ran my hand through my hair in exasperation. Why had this story just stopped as suddenly as it had come? I pondered that question for the rest of the day and once night rolled back in I stored the story away until that inspiration came back. I put out the lights and laid down, just as I started to drift off I once more felt someone climb into bed with me. I found myself unable to move again and before I could ponder it more I was fast asleep. I awoke after the sun had risen and looked around only to find and empty bed and Ahiru looking at me with wide eyes from her nest.

"Did you see anyone come in here last night?"

Ahiru shook her head and I sighed, maybe I'm just imagining things. I tried to not think about my visitor for the rest of the day but by the time night fell I had a plan to see who was sneaking into my room. After I tucked Ahiru in I laid down and set a lit lantern next to my bed – tonight I would see who was joining me. As the time wore on I found myself unable to stay awake, my eyes closed and I could feel the heat from my lantern cease just as someone climbed into my bed next to me.

Over the next week I tried a multitude of different things to figure out who this person was but each and every thing failed. As time wore on I just accepted the presence. Moths passed in comfortable silence between me and my guest. One night I could feel the other person shivering next to me I didn't dare move closer but I knew that I needed to help. So the next night I placed one of my clean shirts out and laid down. As I laid thee I could hear the person slide the shirt on and let out a content sigh before slipping under the covers. I was pleased that they didn't shiver at all during the night.

When I woke the next morning I asked Ahiru if she had seen anyone and like usual she shook her head but there was my shirt folded on the bed right where I had left it. I left the shirt there for my guest and every night before the climbed into bed I could hear them put the shirt on. After nearly a week I decided to wash the shirt and as I picked it up I caught a whiff of a familiar scent. I stopped and pressed the shirt to my nose to be sure that it wasn't just a fluke and indeed I smelled the same achingly familiar scent. That day I went into the town with the hope of finding something that might help me figure out who my guest was. At one of the newer shops I found a well encased lantern that promised to stay lit in even the harshest winds and a striker that could light anything, armed with my new tools that night I went to bed both fearful and excited.

When the figure put on my shirt and laid down my hand went under the bed and felt for the striker but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to pull it out and light the lantern. I fought for the next few nights with my emotions before finally on the third night I lit the lantern and rolled over to see who was sleeping in my bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright kiddies, I know I originally posted this story a few days ago but I was so inspired so here is my second chapter for you kids. As always please enjoy and let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters**

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><p>On the bed next to me was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. There curled up in my shirt was a beautiful woman with strawberry blonde hair that looked almost pink in this light. Her eyes were closed but I already knew that they were the most beautiful shade of blue, she had a light spattering of freckles over her cheeks. Her features were sharp and looked as if they had been chiseled out of the finest marble. I couldn't help but stare at her as her name tumbled off my lips in astonishment.<p>

At the sound of her name Ahiru's eyes snapped open, she rolled over and her eyes grew wide as she saw him. She bolted out of the bed and away from him desperately pulling her shirt down to cover as much of her as possible. "No, no, no. You just had to wait a few more months that's all."

Her words snapped him back into reality, "Wait what's going on?"

"He's coming for me, you have to go. Please he will hurt you," She said desperately as she tried to back out of the room.

"I'm not leaving you, you are finally back. I don't care who he is but I will stop him," I said desperately as I grabbed my sword in one hand and her with the other. She fought against me but I held her close, "I will not let you go this time."

Seeing that she wasn't going to win Ahiru turned and buried herself against my chest, "Please just remember that he is taking me to a land before the beginning and after the end. It's there where you will find me."

I looked down at her, "what are you talking about?"

She said nothing but a moment later the window shattered and a figured dressed in black stood and faced the pair, "I'm here to collect my reward."

I tightened my grip on Ahiru and drew my sword, "you will take nothing, back down or I will take your life."

The figure said nothing but launched at me forcing me into a defensive position, I wasn't even able to attack as I tried to keep Ahiru safe. I managed to deflect a few more blows but I had to risk myself as the figure aimed for Ahiru, the sword cut painfully across my shoulder and back.

"Stop," Ahiru shouted as she pushed out of my arms and placed herself between me and the figure. "If I go with you will you not hurt him?"

The figure nodded to her and Ahiru turned to face me with an unspeakable sadness before she followed the figure out the window and out of my life once more. I rushed to the window and watched as they galloped off, I turned and ran back through the house only to be stopped by Karon.

"I heard a bunch of noise… and what happened to you?" He asked as he hurriedly checked over my injury in a frenzied manner.

"I'm fine Karon, but they have her." I said as I tried to fight out of his grasp and after Ahiru.

"No you're not, you're not even making sense." Karon said as he steered me over to the kitchen table where he could take care of my injury. "Who are they and who have they taken?"

"Ahiru," I said as I let him sit me down, "I managed to write her back into this world but I blew it and they took her away, I tried to save her but she sacrificed herself to keep me safe - just like she always has."

Karon frowned as he wrapped my shoulder, "That's the girl you are always telling me about, right?" He asked though it was clear that he was still confused.

"Yes, that's her and now I need to go save her." I said flatly, I didn't want to go through explaining this all right now.

"Seeing that I can't talk you out of this at least take this with you and try to be safe." Karon said as he handed me a pack that was set up for camping, I thanked him and rushed out of the house.

I grabbed one of the horses and as a made it to the edge of the town and prepared to take off I heard another voice behind me, "where are you going, Fakir?"

"I don't have time for this Autor, go back the library."

"I don't think so, you have been writing again haven't you?" Autor said as he stepped in front of my horse to stop me. "So where are you going? Are you leaving before your story plagues this town again?"

"No, the repercussions of this story are for me to deal with. Now if you don't mind I have to a place before the beginning and after the end."

"There is no such place, you are going on a fools quest." Autor spit out, "how do you hope to find a place that doesn't exist?"

"By figuring out the riddle," I said slowly before I realized something, that story that I had started all those months ago was so similar. I abruptly turned my horse and galloped back to the house to find the papers and find the answer to this ridiculous riddle. Finding nothing immediately in the story I turned and traveled West in the direction that I remembered seeing the black figure take Ahiru in.


	3. Chapter 3

**In light of all the activity this story has been getting I have been inspired to add another chapter, let me know what you think of it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fakir or Ahiru (wish I did though)**

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><p>I rode hard all through the day chasing the slowly setting sun. Other than spotting a few black feathers along the trail around noon there were no signs of the dark figure and the birds that had been with him. But to me it didn't matter, I knew I was on the right path all I had to do was keep going. I forced myself to not stop the first night hoping that I was catching up to Ahuiru's captors though as the second night bared down on my horse and me I realized that I would have to slow down to keep both of us from collapsing in exhaustion.<p>

On the third day of my travels the path started becoming very narrow and rocky; knowing that it was no longer safe for my horse I regretfully sent him home and continued on by foot. When the sun started going down I found that there was no safe place for me to set up camp so I had to keep going. The waning moon cast little light but I knew it was too dangerous for me to light a lantern or candle so I had to dramatically slow my pace just to keep from falling on my face – again. The fourth night went on much like the third though I could feel exhaustion dragging at my limbs and making them heavy and awkward to use. I found myself stumbling more and more the later it got.

Just before dawn I came to a small stream that flowed over the rocks. I took the time to get a drink and splash my face to wake myself up but as I stepped over the small steam I slipped on the wet moss and went down. In the darkness my mind played tricks on me.

"_You are no knight," the large raven mocked. "First you summon us and get your parents killed then you let the prince fall into our hands with hardly a fight and now you give us your lover too? What kind of fool are you?" The raven cackled and I reached for my sword only to find it gone, "what kind of knight doesn't have a sword? Oh right the one that believes 'that the pen is mightier than the sword.'"_

"_As it is," I snapped in defense, "I wrote you out of the story and you can bet that I will write you back into it."_

"_I'm waiting…." The raven said as it watched me with those soulless black eye, "you can't do it can you? You have to write about the girl. That makes you selfish."_

"_I am not selfish; writing for another does not make me selfish."_

"_Ah but it does if you are writing to keep that person with you. Is this what she wants? Have you ever asked her? Truthfully she would have been perfectly happy to have died in that lake, she had already come to grips with what she had to do and was at peace – then you showed up and disrupted that. And what about in the battle, she was just happy that she was able to help the others and yet you had to write about her and get yourself hurt. Do you know how much she worried about you, how hard she had fought just to keep you safe?" The raven asked as he eyes seemed to look into my soul, "so now I ask you knight, why are you really saving her?"_

I woke with a start only to find myself being held down and a cloth over my eyes robbing me of my ability to see, "Who are you? What do you want with her?"

"Hush child, you need to relax. You hit your head pretty hard when you slipped," a kind and motherly voice said softly and I slowly relaxed back down, I didn't really have much choice but to trust her now that the throbbing had become very prevalent in my head.

"Where am I?" I asked after a long moment, I knew I was in some sort of house but I don't remember ever coming across a house on my travels. It was actually something I had found rather odd; I would have guessed that there would at least be one trading post or something along the trail.

"The middle of nowhere dear, it's not often we see people. Had you been awake it would have been a much more pleasant surprise," the lady said with a little laugh.

"Have you seen anyone else come through here?"

"No dear just you, are you looking for someone in particular? You had mentioned a girl earlier."

"Yes, I am searching for a friend but I don't know where she has gone. All I know is she has gone to a land before the beginning and after the end."

"Those are some vague directions, do you have anything else?"

"She went west, that's why I ended up here."

"I see…" The lady let the room drift into silence, "how is your head feeling now?"

"It still hurts but the throbbing has gone down."

"Then why don't you try sitting up? It would be nice to get some food into you. I'm going to take the blindfold off; it's going to be pretty bright."

I barely had time to nod before she removed the cloth and I was forced to blink against the harsh light. As I eased myself up I took that time to look around the room and at the lady who is helping me. It was clear that we in a two room shack, it wasn't in bad condition but it was still shabby and slightly run down. The lady sitting next to the bed had wavy brown hair that fell around her shoulders and her hazel eyes were filled with concern as she watched me. I was in one of the two small cots in the room and was positioned close to the fire, when I spotted the fire I immediately felt guilty. I felt like I was taking one of their valuable resources.

As the kind lady pressed a cup to my lips I could hear someone coughing in the other room, out of the corner of my eye I caught her casting a very worried look in that direction. "Who is that?" I asked carefully once I had drunk just a little bit of the stew.

The lady hesitated, "my son, I'm sorry if he is bothering you." She apologized softly.

"It's not a bother at all, is he okay? If he is cold he can come in here, I don't mind really." I insisted; I couldn't just let her son suffer like that.

"Ryan, you can come in." The lady called softly after a long moment. At her call a boy no older than eight came into the room, he had short dark brown hair and his mother's eyes. He walked carefully up to the side of my cot eyeing me with curious eyes.

"Are you really a knight?" He asked after apparently deeming me to not be a threat.

I found myself hesitating at the question as my mind zipped back to my nightmare, was I really a knight? "Yes, I am really a knight." I said finally, after all I had once fought for my princess and now I was determined to fight for her again.

"Are you trying to save a princess?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"Is she really pretty and nice?"

"She is absolutely stunning and she is the nicest person I have ever met, she would do anything to make people feel loved. And she is an amazing ballerina, when she dances the world stops to watch her." I explained as I thought back to that brief moment I got to see her all grown up and even more amazing than I ever could have dreamed.

"She sounds amazing, just like Mommy. Will you tell me more about her?" Ryan asked and when I nodded he crawled up onto the cot next to me and watched me with big expectant eyes. After a moment of thinking I told him about when she danced with the chef of the little cottage in the woods to show her that she wasn't alone, while I was telling the story he had a horrible coughing fit. His mother just told me to continue my story.

Later that night after Ryan had fallen asleep I turned to his mother, "What's wrong with Ryan, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He has had a cough since he was very little and it has been getting worse over the years, the local healer doesn't think that he has much longer to live but he has the soul of a knight. I know he will fight to the bitter end."

I frowned, that didn't sound overly pleasant. "Is there anything that helps?"

"Nothing that I have found yet, everything I have tried so far has yet to have any effect. His father left years ago to find a solution but it has been so long that I know he will not return; that is where his fascination with knights comes from. Whenever he asks about his father I tell him that his father is a knight out on a quest, I just don't know how to tell him the truth."

I nodded thoughtfully, "do you happen to have any paper and a quill?" I asked carefully, I needed to help these people.

Ryan's mother eyed me for a long moment before nodding and getting the requested items, it was clear that she was curious as to what I was doing but she didn't want to pry. I stared at the black raven's feather for a long time before finally settling down to write; just like it had with Ahiru their story just seemed to flow over the page. I must have been writing for a long time because when I was finished Ryan's mother had gone over and fallen asleep next to her son on the small cot. I smiled softly at the pair before tending to the fire and falling asleep, I knew in the morning everything would be better.

Earlier the next morning there was a knock on the door that woke all the occupants of the house. Ryan's mother looked startled as she quickly straightened out her dress and hair before going to open the door. I smiled as I heard a delighted gasp. Slowly I stood and made my way into the other room just in time to see her hugging a man tightly. I could hear her saying that she thought he would never come back. He just chuckled and told her that he had promised to never leave her and he had fought every day to get back to her and his son. I was nearly knocked over as an excited Ryan ran past me and into his father's arms.

Feeling like I was interfering with this reunion I turned and started gathering up my stuff to go, I had already lost too much time. As I was packing I heard Ryan's joyful talking get cut off by a harsh coughing fit and his father exclaim that he had found the cure and I smiled to myself, maybe I don't always have to write tragedies. Once I had finished packing I left the story on the cot and went to leave, just then Ryan's mother stepped back into the room.

"I'm sorry for forgetting you like that. I just had not expected him to come home just like that."

"Don't worry about it, I understand."

"Oh my," she suddenly gasped as she looked past me. When I followed her gaze I caught the very end of the raven feather changing into a silver swan feather. After a moment a carefully picked it up and went to hand it to her but her attention was drawn to the papers still sitting on the cot. "Did you write this?" she asked carefully after scanning the story.

"I did."

"You wrote this for us?" She asked again as she looked up at me, I nodded. "You keep that quill; you have already done so much for us. You deserve it. I pray it will help you find your princess."

"I don't need it really," I protested as I tried to hand the quill back but she refused and clutched the papers close to her chest.

"You have brought back my husband and his father. You deserve the quill to help you find your happiness." She said defiantly, "I wish you the best of luck." With that she led me to the door and pushed me out not even giving me a chance to argue.


End file.
